This past, introductory week we've discussed poverty and the connection with environmental issues. One example of an enivornmental issue that particularly affects the poor is aresenic poisoning in groundwater.
Arsenic is comes from rocks that have a silty and clay based. Arsenic is formed as hydrous ferric oxides, which found with these sediments. (Dissanayake et. al.2010). Bacteria reduce the HFO and releases arsenic in an absorbed state.
In two readings we've read this week, arsenic posioning in ground water was discussed. Arsenic is naturally formed in the Himalaya and is present in groundwater. Unfortunately, many people drill into the groundwater to get their water. In Dissanayake et. al's article, they discuss the the negative health affects of arasenic poisoning. Dissanyake et.al describe arsenic poisoning resulting in skin disorders. Arsenic poisoning can occur as a result of water consumption, eating crops drenched with aresenic laden water, and walking in arsenic water. Bowden's carcinoma is a result of arsenic poisoning. Also, the act of farming rice--not just eating it--requires walking through the potentially poisoned waters.
Unfortunately, poisoning occurs most often in the impovershed. Unfortuanely they drill into the contaminated groundwater and do not have the resources to filter their water. They discover their well is contaminated only after symptoms are seen in the population. Also, they might farm rice to produce and income or as a means of survival. Yet still, their efforts to survive are met with potential risk, putting them out of work and creating a poverty trap.
Dissanayake et. al. lay out a description of groups most likely to be vulnerable to aresnic poisoning: the highly populated, children and pregnant women, consumers of food grown in contaminated areas, areas with poorly implemnted pollution control laws, poorly educated, and the impovershed who lack health care (Dissanayake et. al.2010).
They also explain several environmental situations more conducive to aresnic contamination in groundwater. In "delataic plains and inland basins" aresenic groundwater is more prevalent (Dissanayake et. al.2010). Groundwater movement that is very slow allows a greater chance of contaminated water to be drawn.
Dr. Mazumder, associated with the WHO, gave a talk in Calcutta in 2000 about symptoms and treatment of arsenic poisioning. He writes that chroinc arsenic poisoning causes damage that cannot be fixed. He says, "Despite the magnitude of this potentially fatal toxicity, there is no
effective therapy for this disease; patients once affected may not recover even after remediation
of the As contaminated water" (Mazumder 200). This means that prevention and education are more important than trying to figure out how to treat poisoning. Efforts, time, and money should be dedicated to helping those who cannot protect themselves avoid poisoing before they are contaminated.
Mazumder describes how Chelation therapy has been worked with, but it has not been met with lots of success. Chelation theraby is the ingestion of an agent that reacts with the metal ion to form an insoluble ring. This ring would be passed rather than digested and spread to the rest of the body. Mazumder also explains other supportive therapies that can be undertaken. For example, a high portein diet might help reduce the effects of arsenic poisoing. however, a high protein diet, not to mention chelation therapy is probably out of the price range of the impovershed.
He concldudes that preventive mesures are more effective at fixing the problem of arsenic poisoning than treatment. Atanu Sarkar echoes this argument in his chapter entitled "Sustainable solution to Arsenic Contamination of Groundwater: The Fanga-Meghna-Bramaputra Basin". Sarkar describes a few current "mitigation strategies" to ridding arsenic poisoning from the poor. Arsenic filters is a common, cheap solution. However, it is not a permanent fix. The filters are required to be fixed and updated, sometimes requiring resources that the poor lack. A more costly, yet more permanent solution is river planning and diversion. Obviously, the poort themselves could not afford this, but a NGO might help an entire village with a genorous donation. (Sarkar, Water, Agriculture, and Sustainable Well-Being). Deeper wells is a less costly idea. Sarkar also describes "Projectwell" shows that this is a very 'doable' idea. Costing about $1.6/person, dug wells could provide a more permanent solution (Sarkar). An idea that I personally support is rainwater harvesting. This is the water colleciton solution seen in Bermuda. It requires the construciton of better roofs, which would have some cost initially. Sarkar reports several schools have already made this investment.
In this way, we can see how the poor have a higer disadvantage than the rich in health and environmental issues. The two articles assigned (Sarkar and Dissanayake et. al.) discussed how the poor are more directly/permanently affected and made some suggestions to break the poverty trap. Dr. Mazumder gave a speech for the WHO that described his research in treatment options for chronic arsenic poisoning and found that preventative measures are better executed than treatment options.
Masumder, Guha. Diagnosis and treatment of chronic arsenic poisoning. June 2000. http://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/dwq/arsenicun4.pdf
Arsenic is comes from rocks that have a silty and clay based. Arsenic is formed as hydrous ferric oxides, which found with these sediments. (Dissanayake et. al.2010). Bacteria reduce the HFO and releases arsenic in an absorbed state.
In two readings we've read this week, arsenic posioning in ground water was discussed. Arsenic is naturally formed in the Himalaya and is present in groundwater. Unfortunately, many people drill into the groundwater to get their water. In Dissanayake et. al's article, they discuss the the negative health affects of arasenic poisoning. Dissanyake et.al describe arsenic poisoning resulting in skin disorders. Arsenic poisoning can occur as a result of water consumption, eating crops drenched with aresenic laden water, and walking in arsenic water. Bowden's carcinoma is a result of arsenic poisoning. Also, the act of farming rice--not just eating it--requires walking through the potentially poisoned waters.
Unfortunately, poisoning occurs most often in the impovershed. Unfortuanely they drill into the contaminated groundwater and do not have the resources to filter their water. They discover their well is contaminated only after symptoms are seen in the population. Also, they might farm rice to produce and income or as a means of survival. Yet still, their efforts to survive are met with potential risk, putting them out of work and creating a poverty trap.
Dissanayake et. al. lay out a description of groups most likely to be vulnerable to aresnic poisoning: the highly populated, children and pregnant women, consumers of food grown in contaminated areas, areas with poorly implemnted pollution control laws, poorly educated, and the impovershed who lack health care (Dissanayake et. al.2010).
They also explain several environmental situations more conducive to aresnic contamination in groundwater. In "delataic plains and inland basins" aresenic groundwater is more prevalent (Dissanayake et. al.2010). Groundwater movement that is very slow allows a greater chance of contaminated water to be drawn.
Dr. Mazumder, associated with the WHO, gave a talk in Calcutta in 2000 about symptoms and treatment of arsenic poisioning. He writes that chroinc arsenic poisoning causes damage that cannot be fixed. He says, "Despite the magnitude of this potentially fatal toxicity, there is no
effective therapy for this disease; patients once affected may not recover even after remediation
of the As contaminated water" (Mazumder 200). This means that prevention and education are more important than trying to figure out how to treat poisoning. Efforts, time, and money should be dedicated to helping those who cannot protect themselves avoid poisoing before they are contaminated.
Mazumder describes how Chelation therapy has been worked with, but it has not been met with lots of success. Chelation theraby is the ingestion of an agent that reacts with the metal ion to form an insoluble ring. This ring would be passed rather than digested and spread to the rest of the body. Mazumder also explains other supportive therapies that can be undertaken. For example, a high portein diet might help reduce the effects of arsenic poisoing. however, a high protein diet, not to mention chelation therapy is probably out of the price range of the impovershed.
He concldudes that preventive mesures are more effective at fixing the problem of arsenic poisoning than treatment. Atanu Sarkar echoes this argument in his chapter entitled "Sustainable solution to Arsenic Contamination of Groundwater: The Fanga-Meghna-Bramaputra Basin". Sarkar describes a few current "mitigation strategies" to ridding arsenic poisoning from the poor. Arsenic filters is a common, cheap solution. However, it is not a permanent fix. The filters are required to be fixed and updated, sometimes requiring resources that the poor lack. A more costly, yet more permanent solution is river planning and diversion. Obviously, the poort themselves could not afford this, but a NGO might help an entire village with a genorous donation. (Sarkar, Water, Agriculture, and Sustainable Well-Being). Deeper wells is a less costly idea. Sarkar also describes "Projectwell" shows that this is a very 'doable' idea. Costing about $1.6/person, dug wells could provide a more permanent solution (Sarkar). An idea that I personally support is rainwater harvesting. This is the water colleciton solution seen in Bermuda. It requires the construciton of better roofs, which would have some cost initially. Sarkar reports several schools have already made this investment.
In this way, we can see how the poor have a higer disadvantage than the rich in health and environmental issues. The two articles assigned (Sarkar and Dissanayake et. al.) discussed how the poor are more directly/permanently affected and made some suggestions to break the poverty trap. Dr. Mazumder gave a speech for the WHO that described his research in treatment options for chronic arsenic poisoning and found that preventative measures are better executed than treatment options.
Masumder, Guha. Diagnosis and treatment of chronic arsenic poisoning. June 2000. http://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/dwq/arsenicun4.pdf
No comments:
Post a Comment